


After the Apocalypse

by EventHorizons13



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Crowley and Aziraphale raise a second child, F/M, Gen, Half-angel, M/M, Nephilim, Quote: I'm the Archangel Fucking Gabriel (Good Omens), Shiloh gives sass to Gabriel, hints of childhood abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:22:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23653039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EventHorizons13/pseuds/EventHorizons13
Summary: Aziraphale comes across a child in his bookshop that turns out to be more than she seems. She comes to have a place in both his and Crowley’s life. She even has a role to play in the Nopocalypse. She annoys a certain Archangel to no end during it and maybe even after, something will come of it.
Relationships: Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale (Good Omens) & Original Female Character(s), Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens), Crowley (Good Omens) & Original Female Character(s), Gabriel (Good Omens) & Original Character(s), Gabriel (Good Omens)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This entire fic was built around once scene that came directly to mind in terms of Gabriel. So yeah, this thing then spawned a life of it’s own. I am actually really enjoying writing it. I hope that everyone enjoys. As usual, no Beta to mistakes are my own. It starts prior to Aziraphale and Crowley attempting to raise the Antichrist and extends throughout the plot of the series before focusing on what happens after.

Aziraphale was pulled to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk, during his Sunday morning stroll. He had intended to visit Crowley in the park given the nice weather that took hold of London. There was an odd sort of presence that he could not quite put his finger on. There were no obvious signs of other angels or any demons around, a quick cursory glance confirmed the fact. Despite being around since the beginning, both angels and demons did little in the way to blend in with humans. They were unable to really keep up with the times and were too far removed from humanity. 

He brushed it off as a little paranoia. It had been some time since he had been visited by the home office and he was going to see Crowley. Those sort of things always tended to get his wings a little twisted if he devoted too much time to the thoughts. The angel resumed his pace and focused on the wonderful lunch that he might be able to get out of his companion. 

Aziraphale had all but forgotten about that feeling come Monday. Nothing had come of it so there was nothing to be concerned with, or so he thought. He moved around the bookshop, the space all but vacant just as he liked it. All of his books were in place and there was the soft hum of a record playing in the background. He took a slow breath in to just enjoy the moment that he was given. 

That was when he felt it again. Something out of place, something that didn’t quite belong. It wasn’t something that he had felt before. Aziraphale moved through the shop, trying to pinpoint what was creating the feeling. First on the street and now here, it was all rather odd. He was feeling a little put out over the whole thing. He hadn’t had any sort of issue in years and now twice in the matter of two days? It did not sit well with him at all. 

In the corner of the bookshop, there was a young girl. She couldn’t have been more than ten years old. She was quietly reading a book, not a bother in the world. There were no parents looking for the girl in the store. She could have been a runaway. There were plenty of those in London, even in the modern times. He paused before approaching her though, something telling him to not disturb her just yet.

She was being polite and delicate with the book in her hands, cradling it so it wouldn’t drop to the floor. There was more care there than what was typical of a ten year old child with a book. That was certainly curious. He was tempted to call Crowley but the demon would surely think him foolish and scare the child. There was no need for those sort of tactics. 

After a few moments of watching her read, he decided that she was definitely the one creating that odd presence. There was something almost angelic about her but she wasn’t an angel. He was going to have to consult someone on the matter though he wasn’t sure who that would be yet. He had to say something and build some kind of reporte with the girl to be able to figure it all out though. He had never been great with kids. This was going to be interesting to say the least. 

“Hello there.” He started off, keeping his voice soft. The comment was still enough to start the poor girl, causing her to clutch the book to her chest. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. Everything is okay.” Normally he hated it when other people touched his collection. The book shop wasn’t really a shop as much as it was just a place to store his books and not seem entirely out of place. He wasn’t quite as bothered by the fact that she was touching a book as he normally would have been. She didn’t have money to even present to him, he could see that by looking at her. She wasn’t a threat for taking the book, unless of course she decided to steal it. She didn’t look the type. If she was going to steal it, she wouldn’t have bothered to sit down in the shop and begin reading. 

Her eyes darted back and forth, nervousness creeping into her body. She was tensing up and ready to run. 

“You aren’t in trouble my dear. It’s okay.” He assured her again, holding up his hands and finding himself kneeling. “Are you enjoying that book? It’s one of my personal favorites.” She looked a little less panicked as he continued to talk. That was at least a step in the right direction. He might never see her again if he scared her off. She looked down at the book and carefully set it back in her lap.

“I’ve never been able to finish it. School always needs it back.” Her voice was soft as she spoke, as if she was afraid to speak too loud. Aziraphale frowned but decided to store that information away for the time being. 

“Well, you seem to be making decent progress now.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he continued to kneel. “You enjoy reading?”

“Yeah. A lot.” She didn’t immediately offer up anything else right away and he sensed that there was something else there. He didn’t know how to ask a child what was wrong though. This seemed like an incredibly delicate situation. He was not the one to be handling this. He fretted over it for a minute before deciding that sticking to books seemed the safest option. 

  
“That’s very nice. I know a lot of children don’t seem to like to read too much.”

  
“I get made fun of for it.” She agreed, finally looking up. “I don’t get many books at home. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take the book. I just really wanted to finish it.” Aziraphale found that he couldn’t bring himself to be angry about it. She looked too innocent and too earnest. No, she didn’t want to get in trouble and that much was obvious. There was still a weariness to the look that she was giving him. 

“Oh my dear, you aren’t in trouble.” He still couldn’t pinpoint what it was about her that made her seem so peculiar to him. The word familiar floated through his mind. Perhaps that was why he wasn’t able to figure it out. It was familiar but foreign. She didn’t feel like Crowley did, more like when he was around other angels. It had been so long but yes, that was it. His previous assessment that she felt angelic was spot on the longer he knelt in front of her. She wasn’t an angel though. He hadn’t ever seen her before, not that he knew every angel in Heaven but surely someone so young would have stood out. He didn’t think God made them that young. He would need to do some research. 

He would lose track of her if she left though and he might never find her again. That wouldn’t do before he could get his answers. Aziraphale wanted to know what she was and if she posed any threat. If she was an angel and had been sent to spy on him, any appearance of Crowley could cause an upheaval. Their peaceful existence would be destroyed. 

“What’s your name?” He maintained the gentle voice that he had been using since he first approached her. She seemed to be soothed by it, less jumpy and ready to bolt. She might not have any idea that she is anything more than a human. That was something he hadn’t thought about and hit him like a lightning bolt. If she had no clue what she was, then it could account for any troubles that she was having. The shy and timid nature may not have been entirely created by circumstance, it could have just been her personality. Aziraphale had first hand experience with that but even he could have a bit of a backbone when the moment called for one. He didn’t think that ten year old children were supposed to be that quiet and meek. No child he had ever seen on the street acted like that. 

“Shiloh.” Aziraphale cocked his head to the side. That was an older name that he hadn’t heard in some time. An interesting choice for a child that surely wasn’t completely human. He regarded her for another second before speaking, a smile on his face.

  
“That is a pretty name. I’m…” He realized that he wasn’t sure if he should give her his real name or not. He was terrible at coming up with something made up, on the spot or not. He didn’t have anything else that he could use. “Aziraphale.” A smile finally came to her face. 

“I don’t think I’ve heard that name before. I like it.” She was growing more comfortable and shifted a little with the book still securely in her lap. “That means this is your shop right?” She likely already knew it was but the confirmation might have helped. He nodded.

“Yes it is.”

“It has to be one of the coolest jobs. Having all these books around.” She looked around the store, piles of books much larger than her stacked all over the place. “You must read all the time.” He found himself laughing at the enthusiasm that began to leak into the words. That was a bit more of what he expected out of her.

“I do like to read. I probably don’t do it as much as I should. Even with all of these books around.” He admitted before settling down fully so he wasn’t putting such a strain on the knees. This might have been the most contact he had had with anyone besides Crowley in years. “What do you like to read the most?”

“Anything.” The answer was quick but it was genuine. She meant it. “I don’t mind reading anything. I like books about angels.” That had him laughing again. He wondered if she realized just what sort of on the nose comment it was but she probably didn’t.

“Why angels?” She thought about it carefully for a moment, quiet as she contemplated how to respond to him. 

“Because they do good things.” She finally settled on with a nod. “It’s nice to think that good things can happen and that someone can make good things happen. Even if it is all made up.” 

“You don’t believe in angels?”

“My mom said it’s all made up. She doesn’t like it when I read those sort of books.” She withdrew for a moment again. “She said it’s not smart to believe in those sort of things when there are so many bad things happening in the world. We have to make our own good things happen. But I don’t know if that can really happen. There are a lot of bad things out there.” She sounded way too serious for a child, thinking on things that should not be a worry to her. He may not have been an expert, in fact he knew he wasn’t, but that didn’t seem right at all. 

“There are a lot of bad things out there,” He agreed but didn’t just leave it at that. Her mother didn’t seem to be doing a great job at instilling a sense of wonder and excitement of the small little every day miracles that humans were gifted to experience. “But there are a lot of good things too. Even small things that make you smile are good things. Like, getting to enjoy a nice sweet. Or watching the sunrise. Or evening getting to play with the ducks in the park. Those are all good things even if they aren’t big things. Sometimes, you just need lots of small things to make the one big bad thing seem small.” She took in the words, listening very carefully to what he was saying.

“But they don’t make the bad things go away.” 

“No. They might not. Maybe the bad things can’t always go away.” Demons would always exist and tempt humans, causing them to sin. There would always be something done to throw off the good that any angel attempted to do. The balance of good and evil would be an ever constant battle that evolved as time marched forward. One sort of needed the other to exist. “But that doesn’t mean that the bad things win. That just means that we must look harder for the good things and work to make the good things happen.” 

“So we get to be the angels.” 

“Yes we do.” He pushed up. “Why don’t you continue reading if you don’t have to go home? I can make some tea.” She nodded, a smile finally coming to her face. 

“Thank you very much Mr. Aziraphale.”  
  


“Think nothing of it Shiloh. It is nice to have someone else around that enjoys reading as much as I do.” He left her, curled up in the corner that was more or less hidden. Her mother or father, if he was around, still hadn’t come looking for her. He used a minor miracle to whip up some tea, not bothering to actually boil some water. It would remain hot until he got it to her. With the few extra minutes that he had while pretending to get the tea ready, he moved to grab a few books that were hidden in his office. The older texts surely had to have something that would aid him in figuring out what he was dealing with when it came to Shiloh. 

Aziraphale opened the tomes up, eyes scanning the pages with a practiced precision that came with years of looking for what he needed to find in volumes such as the one in front of him. 

“Bother.” He mumbled as he got through the second book. “There has to be something here in one of these.” He couldn;t let frustration get the better of him. He only had a handful of minutes to see if he could figure it out in case one of her parents did show up. There was a possibility that it would happen, almost more than there was of her running off now that she knew that she was not going to get in trouble for reading on the floor. 

There it was. Nephilim. She didn’t seem like the ones that he had encountered in the past, her small stature contradicting the ones that he knew God had killed herself. It had been a whole messy business that he would rather forget that he even knew about. He didn’t judge the Almighty of course, he knew she had her reasons. But the problem was that he now had one of those creatures sitting in his very book shop. He had done such a wonderful job of keeping quiet and out of any direct questioning from the home office for so long that this could pose a problem. He looked towards the entrance of his office and chewed on his lip for a moment. He was going to have to talk to Crowley about this and get his opinion. He would know what to do.

For now, he had to bring the tea back out to the young girl. That was what she was, just a child. She wasn’t this abomination, she wasn’t some creature to be killed. She was a young girl that enjoyed reading. He reminded himself that as he carried the tray back out to where she was sitting.

“Why don’t we get you a little more comfortable. I have a couch a few shelves over. You might enjoy sitting there a bit more than the floor.”

“I don’t mind the floor.” She slowly got up anyway, still being careful with the book that she was reading. “But a couch does sound nice right now.”

“It will make it easier for you to drink your tea as well.” She nodded.

“Can’t have it spilling on the book.” That had been a worry of his but he didn’t want to voice it. She had beat him to the punch. The care that she was showing to the book wasn’t just an act that she was putting on to stay out of trouble. She genuinely cared for the volume in her hand. A small smile came to the angel’s lips. No, this girl wasn’t any sort of creature that needed to be destroyed. She didn’t ask to be born to an angel and a human, she had no choice in the matter. Aziraphale felt a fondness already growing for her as she moved to the couch and sat, curling her legs underneath her. He would do what he could to help her. It was the right thing to do. Who knew? Maybe she would be able to help put some more “good things” into the world.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time passes, Shiloh grows up. She starts to realize that Aziraphale and Crowley are hiding something from her as the day of the Apocalypse draws near.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this is more or less filler. Hope you enjoy.

Years passed and Shiloh had become a regular staple in the bookshop. She had an angel father who hadn’t remained around to see what would come of the child he created and her mother was doing what she could to survive but didn’t offer a lot of encouragement or care to young Shiloh. The Principality had taken it upon himself to help teach her and nurture that caring nature that was hidden behind the walls of shyness. It was the right thing to do and part of him felt somewhat responsible for her after figuring out what she was. He wouldn’t be a very good angel if he just let her stumble through everything blindly without coming to know what she was. Not that he was going to tell her right away. He planned on waiting until she was eighteen. That seemed an appropriate time and when she could properly handle the information. She wouldn’t have school hanging over her head anymore unless she decided to go to University. That wasn’t clear cut, though if she decided to, she needed to know before she left and might never return. 

Aziraphale hadn’t been able to keep her hidden from Crowley all that long. The demon was over at the shop frequently and after a few visits where Shiloh was also present, Crowley started asking questions. Crowley knew that the angel didn’t really like anyone in his shop and he certainly didn’t let anyone touch his books. Yet the child was there routinely, with a book in hand, and a cup of tea that was clearly prepared by the angel at her side.   
  
Shiloh took to him surprisingly well. No matter how many times Crowley tried to scare her, she was undisturbed. She even made a comment of liking snakes and picking him up when he attempted to scare her off that way. As she grew older, the two grew a bit more close. Shiloh appreciated the demon’s sense of humor, always willing to joke with him. She also developed a taste of the music that he seemed to favor and the two often had long discussions about various artists once she was able to hold that sort of conversation. She came out of her shell more and more between the two of them. Mannerisms from each were adopted. Aziraphale could have gone without the bit of back lip and sass that she had picked up from the red headed demon while Crowley could have gone without the need that she had to follow the rules when Aziraphale was around. He could get her to break them when the angel wasn’t hovering over either of them.

She was sixteen when the whole mess with the Antichrist came about. Aziraphale and Crowley, not wanting the world to end, cooked up a scheme to try to avert the Apocalypse. He would be spending an exorbitant amount of time trying to help raise the baby that would eventually bring about the end of the world. The hope was that his good would cancel out any negative influence that Crowley had on the boy. Shiloh needed some extra money and it wasn’t hard for him to come up with it for her. So instead of closing up the bookshop, he left her in charge. He knew that she wouldn’t sell anything. She was about as attached to his collection as he was. He trusted her fully to be able to handle it in the times that he wasn’t there. She would just read to her heart’s content anyway, likely while listening to some awful record that Crowley had gotten her. He took so much joy in her playing that terrible music in the bookshop. 

The routine that the three fell into was a comfortable one. The two celestial beings were confident that they were going to actually take the ineffable plan and manage to get around it. They thought that they would be able to save humanity and keep everyone and everything that they had grown so attached to around for as long as possible. Neither knew how it would affect Shiloh and that wasn’t something that they were willing to let happen either. 

The years passed and everything seemed to remain fairly uneventful even as the day drew closer and closer. Aziraphale and Crowley grew more antsy as the year of Warlock’s eleventh birthday came upon them. 

Shiloh walked into the bookshop to see Aziraphale and Crowley huddled close together, trading comments that seemed to have a little more bite than usual to them. She didn’t spend as much time at the bookshop as she used to. Two years ago, she had decided to enroll in University, keen on the idea of becoming some sort of archivist. Classes had chewed up a lot of the time that she used to spend with them. 

The time that she did get to spend with either of them now was marred by something. She hadn’t figured out what it was since they were rather secretive about it all. There were few things that they kept from her, ever since telling her of her heritage when she turned eighteen. Shiloh respected those boundaries since they were so rarely in place. 

She cleared her throat, which finally brought their attention to her. She didn’t know how it was possible for Crowley, as a demon, to look as guilty as he did in these sort of moments. Aziraphale blushed slightly and cleared his own throat.

“Hello Shiloh. We didn’t expect you to be popping by today. I thought you had a test.”

“I did but I finished early. There isn’t much more for me to do right now. All of my papers are submitted and the internship has ended. Since I haven’t been around all that much, I thought that it would be nice to be able to stop in and say hello. See how you were both doing. Though it seems that I might have caught you in the middle of work.”

“Nonsense. When do angels and demons work together?” Crowley sniffed as if the very thought insulted him. Shiloh laughed, which just had the pinched face on his face worsening.

“Oh how mindless of me. I should be ashamed for even thinking of such things. They wouldn’t be caught conspiring together in a bookshop. Heaven and Hell forbid.” Crowley grumbled and moved off to get something to drink. He couldn’t argue against that at all. She was right and they all damn knew it even when the two tried their best to deny what was happening. It was for their own selfish reasons. That was what each kept telling themselves.

Shiloh moved further into the office and dropped into a seat.

“You know that I would never push too hard. There are certain things that I know I can’t be privy to and I understand that. I just want to know that you are both okay.” She looked to Aziraphale, knowing that he would be the one to break down with that sort of explanation.

“There is nothing for you to be worried about.” His eyes diverted for a moment and Shiloh didn’t miss it. He wasn’t telling her the truth and for the angel to lie, it must have been something really big. Her posture became less relaxed but she had said that she wasn’t going to push and she didn’t. Shiloh was one to stick to her word. “Things are as they always have been.”

“Right. Well, the weather is nice, I thought we might take a stroll through the park? Or maybe go for a ride in that Bentley?” She looked back to Crowley. 

“No. You aren’t driving it.” He growled out, hissing almost at the end. It had happened once and she was never allowed behind the wheel again. He had forbade it, vowing that she would be stuck riding in the backseat if she was ever allowed to get into the Bentley again. She had only been in the car a handful of times since and he had stuck to the rule of keeping her in the backseat. 

“I didn’t say that I had to drive it. You are quite testing today aren’t you?” She teased as she watched him down half the glass of wine that he had poured himself. Between Aziraphale lying and Crowley being over the top dramatic, even more than usual, Shiloh was having a hard time respecting those boundaries and not asking them what in the world was going on. 

“You just caught us at a bad time Shiloh. There are certain...business matters that we have to attend to.”

“Ah, right. Heavenly and Hellish duties call. Well, don't let me keep you from work.” She pushed up from her chair and gave them both a smile. “You know where to find me if you need me. Stay safe boys.” The last comment let them know that she understood that there was more going on than what they were telling her. 

“Always do Angel food cake.” Shiloh rolled her eyes at the nickname. She never understood it when she was younger though had always found it funny. Now that she was older and understood what had brought it about, there was still a fondness for it but it was not something that she liked hearing too often. He was making light of her half heritage. It didn’t bother her but it wasn’t something that she liked pointed out too often anymore. There was nothing that she could do about it and she wasn’t exactly looked upon fondly by anyone other than Crowley and Aziraphale. Or she wouldn’t be if she met anyone else. She understood that she was what was considered an abomination by God and other angels. Who knew what those in Hell thought of her but she was part angel and they weren’t fond of the wing winged individuals. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiloh has a brief run in with some other angels. She lets her mouth get the better of her before she can help it. Aziraphale tries to keep her from learning about what he and Crowley are up to.

It was a week later that Shiloh ended up back at the bookshop. As soon as she walked in, her senses were assaulted. There were other angels here. She paused in the doorway, feeling a moment of panic. If they found out about her, it could be trouble. But then again, she had made it this long. Maybe things wouldn’t be that bad. If they were friends of Aziraphale, then surely she could be okay. 

There were two men. They were the source of the overwhelming grace that filled the front of the shop. One was tall and seemed well built, wearing a pressed grey business suit. The other was much shorter and certainly more round, wearing a brown business suit. They were yelling about buying porn. 

Shiloh nearly laughed when the angel all but shouted it enthusiastically and the three went to the office to talk. They clearly didn’t get out of the home office much if that was what they thought humans sounded like. Maybe they weren’t close friends of Aziraphale. She needed to stick around to see what other comedy came from them. She found herself a book to occupy her time, deciding not to interrupt whatever meeting that they were having. There was no way to hear what was going on without getting closer and certainly no way of knowing how long the meeting would take. 

She was a few pages in when the two beings emerged with Aziraphale, who was looking entirely flustered. Shiloh didn’t like the look. He may have been the older one, the mentor and the parental figure but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t protective over him. The two were passing and she couldn’t help the bit of a snide comment that came from her. 

“That is certainly not the best way to discreetly handle business. Neither of you have been around humans all that much and it’s obvious. Announcing you are buying porn, especially in a bookshop of all places, is going to make you stand out even more. Well done.” She moved off, not giving either of them a second to get a word in edgewise. She slipped past Aziraphale, feeling for all the world that something was about to strike her down where she stood. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. 

No one came through for several long moments and Shiloh felt like she was holding her breath. She had let herself get a little too carried away there. She didn’t know who those angels were or why they were here. Protective of Aziraphale or not, that was something that she shouldn’t have allowed herself to do. The blonde man came wandering in and it wasn’t a second too soon. Shiloh let out her breath and slumped further into her seat. She had been spending a little too much time with Crowley.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have opened my mouth. I just...I didn’t think the way that you looked after talking with them.” She mumbled out in a hurry, looking up at him. Aziraphale shook his head and moved over to her, getting some tea up quickly. 

“It isn’t your fault.” He sighed. “I don’t think Gabriel is used to anyone speaking to him like that. You certainly caught him off guard. I think that worked in your favor.” He patted her shoulder before beginning to make them two cups.

“Gabriel? As in the archangel? Big, important angel?” Her voice was a little strained as she responded. She should have known better. 

“That would be him, yes. And I am sure he would appreciate the sense of fear.” He gave her a look, telling her to calm down without uttering a word. Shiloh took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to follow the silent command. She couldn’t take the action back and it was what it was. He knew about her now and so could God. Their decisions would be whatever it was. She never cared much for what those decisions were anyway.

She of course knew that those individuals existed. They couldn’t not exist given she was alive. That didn’t mean though that she was overly fond of any one religion. Growing up, things had been a little more black and white. There was good and there was bad. The basic moral concepts were followed in any singular religion so she didn’t see why it mattered which one got it more accurately than another. They all got the word of God correct in some way, shape, or form. Man wrote the books anyway, deciding the content. As long as someone tried to do the right thing, tried to live a good life, then she didn’t see why they had to strictly follow one set of rules. Prayer wasn’t exactly a bad thing either, given that she knew God existed. 

“You don’t think that it is going to cause any trouble do you? I mean, I know it could for myself. But I don’t want it to give you any more trouble. They didn’t feel like they were here for anything good.” Aziraphale paused, a split second hesitation that caused him to miss the cup that he was pouring the tea into and Shiloh winced. “I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to make it better?”

“I don’t think so. It might be better for you to try and forget the encounter all together. I don’t think that they will be bothering you any time soon but they might be coming around a bit more often. Gabriel in particular.” Shiloh frowned, not liking the implication. If Gabriel was around more, that meant that she wouldn’t be able to be around the shop. Her time was already severely limited these days thanks to University. She didn’t want to lose what little time she had. That also meant that Crowley would likely be around less. 

“Aziraphale, you have to tell me what is going on. I know that you and Crowley are hiding something. I can help. Whatever it is.” 

“It’s nothing that you need to be involved with.”

“But…”

“There are no buts on this matter young miss.” Shiloh’s mouth snapped shut. She hadn’t heard from him that firm in a very long time. This was something big and something that he was keeping hidden. More than just the relationship that he had with the demon. Though that was a big thing all by itself. If anyone in Heaven figured that out, it would be really bad news. The same thing would happen if Hell caught onto it. 

“You don’t think that he would know what I am?” She decided a different line of questioning was appropriate since he wasn’t going to let her in on what was happening that caused the meeting. She might be able to pull it out of Crowley if she got him drunk enough. The thought lingered in the back of her mind, a plan formulating to be executed later. 

“No, I don’t think he would recognize that. I have been down here much longer and I didn’t. I think he will know something was different and get a sense but there are other things that he is worried about. You are safe for now.” For now. The words felt heavy. Shiloh couldn’t do anything about it and would have to go with whatever consequences came her way. 

“I will have to count that as a win then. A small one but a win.” She sipped her tea once he finally managed to get the cup full and handed it over. “If he is going to be around more, that means that I probably should limit my already limited time here.” Aziraphale frowned before realizing that she was correct, nodding slowly.

“Yes, I suppose that is what that means.” The angel wasn’t fond of the idea. He already saw so little of her. He was attached, he had been from the moment that he had sat on the floor with her. She was a bit of a misfit just like himself, just like Crowley. They were a bit like a family of sorts. Even if she hadn’t walked through the doors while the other two angels were here, he would have given her the same warning. The Apocalypse may or may not have been coming so he had his doubts that Gabriel would bother himself with such a trivial matter, a Nephilim, a single one wasn’t much trouble making it as long as she had. Gabriel was always one to stick firmly to the rule book though. Aziraphale couldn’t be sure that he would leave her alone in the middle of all of this. Maybe he would try to recruit her to fight for Heaven. She had abilities and was half angel after all. Even if he would look down his nose at her, she could be useful in a fight. The man was firmly set on all of this happening even though Aziraphale had done what he could to try and convince him that it could be avoided, that it didn’t have to happen. 

“Okay.” She nodded, reluctant but set on having to follow through on the suggestion while Gabriel was around. Once they stopped the Apocalypse, Aziraphale knew that he would revisit the issue and get it sorted out. Neither he nor Crowley would let anything happen to her because Gabriel decided something needed to be done. He might after they stopped this war from happening. “I guess that means it might be awhile until I get to see you again.” She mumbled as she set her tea aside, only half finished. Shiloh launched herself at Aziraphale, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

He returned it, knowing that it was the right thing to do. Humans needed the contact a little more than angels but he had been living among them for so long that he didn’t mind the contact when it came from Shiloh or Crowley. 

Shiloh pulled back a moment later and gave him a sad smile.

“Whatever it is that you and Crowley have going on, be safe. Let me know if there is anything I can do and when it is all over.” 

“I will.” Aziraphale promised softly as he watched her leave, straightening a book along the way as was habit. He sighed and knew that he was going to have to speak with Crowley. There was more than one thing that they were going to have to worry about it seemed. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiloh manages to get some information out of Crowley. She doesn't know how to handle it.

Shiloh had the same idea, speaking to Crowley. She bought a bottle of his favorite liquor and headed to his apartment. She didn’t often step foot in the place. He didn’t like visitors. He had his plants and was fully content. He was the one that went out and determined when he had interactions with others. That was another boundary that Shiloh tended to respect but today called for a little bending of the rules.

“Crowley?” She called out as she knocked on the door. She might have not thought this through fully but finding out what was so damn important was a higher priority than her own safety. There was no answer right away. She called out his name again and waited, she wasn’t about to enter and get trapped in something. 

“Shiloh?” He called out when he heard the second call of his name. “What are you doing here?”

“Thought I would stop by for a visit. Brought you a bottle of something. I have no tests coming up, no papers due, nothing to worry myself with. Figured you would be the one who would enjoy celebrating with me the most.” So, there were only partial truths in there. She didn’t have work to do and had wanted to celebrate that. It had been the initial purpose of visiting Aziraphale. Her other motive for being there was kept to herself. He wouldn’t drink if he knew that she was going to try to squeeze some information out of him. 

“If you come bearing gifts then you may enter.” A bottle of booze was always free passage. It worked like a charm every time. She stepped in and found him standing at the end of the hallway, close to where the room where he kept all of his plants. She held the bottle up as proof that she was not lying to him. “Well bring it here already.” He was impatient when he actually wanted something. The contrast between Crowley and Aziraphale always amused Shiloh but they were more similar than they ever thought or wanted to admit.

“Okay okay. Here you go.” He looked at the label and a smirk pulled to his face. 

“Oh the expensive stuff. Either you did something wrong that you are trying to apologize for or you have some bad news.”

“Neither! Really. I just wanted to celebrate. I never spent much of what I made while working at the shop so I just thought it would be a nice treat.” He wasn’t buying it but he was too eager to get a taste of the liquor to really care. Shiloh knew that it would only take moments for him to sober himself up when he wanted to or realized what was happening so she was going to have to play this right or she would be in trouble with him too. 

“You may be spending a little too much time with me Cake.” Shiloh rolled her eyes.

“I have spent a ridiculous amount of time with the both of you. I may be half angel but that also means half of me is human. So you might be the one holding more sway over that side. Gotta do a little more work to even out the good side.” He laughed as he poured the amber liquid into glasses for them. 

Shiloh took it when offered and sipped. She knew that if she wasn’t careful, she was going to end up drunk too and that would do nothing to help her cause. She needed her head on straight if she was going to get answers out of the demon. The challenge was going to be making him believe that she was celebrating and not purposefully getting him drunk. 

Thankfully, the taste of the liquor and his habit of overindulging proved to her benefit. She was able to keep herself drinking an absolute minimum and he was practically downing the bottle. Shiloh waited until he seemed to sway on his feet before beginning to hit him with questions.

“I stopped in to see Aziraphale today. It looked like he had some angel visitors.” 

“What?”

“Gabriel and someone else.” She looked down at the glass, playing it off a bit. She knew that neither would be happy with her tactics but she had to get the information. Something was going on, something big and they could use her help. She wasn’t a child anymore. “I don’t know why they were there. I didn’t really ask…”

“Probably has to do with Warlock.” Shiloh had heard the name before but it hadn’t really meant anything to her. For all she knew, it would have been another Nephilim that they were keeping track of.

“I’ve heard the name before.” She slurred her words a little more, wanting him to think that she was as drunk as he was. She couldn’t sober up like he could so when he did, he could think that she wouldn’t remember a damn thing if she played it all right. 

“Oh you know, the kid that was supposed to be the Antichrist.” Shiloh nearly choked on her drink when he said it as casual as casual could be. He was not at all disturbed by the thought. That was what he and Aziraphale had been doing when they went off to the countryside? Dealing with the Antichrist? Shiloh had a million thoughts running through her head. She had to know more about that but had to hold back on the tirade of questions that wanted to just fall from her mouth. 

“Right, the Antichrist. How silly of me to forget.” She needed the next drink from her glass that she took. It was beyond her what the hell they were both doing dealing with such a child. It never once occurred to her that they could be attempting to stop the Apocalypse. That was just a ludicrous idea. Her mind hadn’t even wrapped around the idea that the Apocalypse was an actual thing that was going to happen. Her very existence was under threat by the presence of such a child. More than it normally was at least. “How’s all of that going?” She asked casually, swirling the amber liquid in the glass. 

“His eleventh birthday has come and went though. There wasn’t a hellhound that showed up. So you know, we don’t know what happened with the real Antichrist. Some little mix up and whoops, he vanished. He could have his hellhound by now for all we know.” She pushed back the rush of fear that came with the word hellhound. There wasn’t exactly anything that she could do about it if they had been working hard to do whatever it was they were doing.

“What are you two doing about it?” There was a hint of nervousness to her voice that she couldn’t hide. It wasn’t like it was something small that they were talking about. It would be understandable that she found herself feeling a bit twitchy talking about such a topic.

“Trying our bloody best to find him of course.” He swayed on his feet a little as his arm swung in an arm, sending his alcohol splashing all over the place. Crowley wasn’t the neatest drunk for sure. Shiloh was thankful that she wasn’t in the splash zone. “Nothing we can really do if the boy comes into his full powers. End of the world and all that…” He seemed to realize what he was saying after a moment and looked at her wide eyed. The cat may have been out of the bag. He pointed at her and was sobering himself up in seconds.

“You have been spending too much time around me. That was down right dastardly Shiloh. I would be proud of you if I wasn’t pissed off.” She put the best innocent face that she had on and tried to make it seem like she had no idea what he was talking about. 

“What do you mean?” 

“You know what I mean. Cut the innocent crap. I bet you aren’t even that drunk. There are some things that you lie about just as poorly as Aziraphale.” There wasn’t a point in keeping up the ruse.

“Yeah. That was how I knew something was going on.” She admitted with a sigh and set her glass down. “He didn’t want me pestering about it anymore but with other angels showing up, I knew something was happening. I just want to be able to help. I think in this case, the more hands on the better. It’s not like I am completely oblivious to everything Crowley.” She was referring to their relationship of course. No angel or demon was supposed to be as friendly as they were. She had grown up with it, finding it normal and nothing to be concerned with, at least it wasn’t in her eyes. The whole Heaven versus Hell thing had seemed a little out of proportion and too contrived for her to be comfortable with. Sure, most demons weren’t the sort that she wanted to spend any length of time with from the pictures that Crowley painted. But that didn’t mean that she felt the need to be at combat with them. “I just want to be able to do something. I care about you both and don’t want to see anything bad happen to either of you. The Apocalypse? That is sort of a whole big picture sort of thing that involves everyone. I understand that neither of you probably wanted me to panic but I think I would have had more of an issue with you two running off and never hearing from you again if anything happened before being surrounded by armies from Heaven and Hell.” 

Crowley let go of some of the anger that he was feeling. He could understand that. He had mentioned running away to Aziraphale a couple of times. He felt guilty for even suggesting it at times because he knew that Shiloh wouldn’t have been able to come with them. She was half human, she wouldn’t have been able to survive where they would be able to and there was nothing he could do about that. 

“I know you want to be able to help. But we don’t need it. We have this handled.” 

“It sounds handled if you aren’t even sure where in this green Earth the Antichrist is!” She argued right back, knowing that it was a moot point. They hadn’t included her and there might be absolutely nothing that she could do at this point. They had done what they could do to whatever effect that it would have. They just had to wait to see now if it was enough. 

“It’s not like there was a manual for this sort of thing Shiloh. We did what we thought was the right thing. We couldn’t have known that the kid wasn’t the right child. Those blasted sisters had one simple job. Then we could have made sure that it was taken care of before all of this happened.” 

“I just wish you guys would have trusted me with something. I would have rather known. Especially if these are going to be my last few days on Earth.” That was a thought that she didn’t want to dwell on for too long or she was going to end up having a bit of a breakdown. It had been a long time since she had one of any sort. 

“Don’t talk like that.” He whined a bit as he spoke.

“You know, even if you find the boy and change whatever is supposed to happen, the angels, Gabriel, now know about me. In some form. I may not be the point of focus at the moment but that is going to change. You guys are going to come under scrutiny. My days on Earth might be numbered even if the Earth doesn’t end.” Aziraphale had assured her that she wouldn’t be on the radar at the moment and now she understood why but that didn’t mean that it wouldn’t change when all of these plans were foiled. There would be a lot of anger going around, whether angels would want to admit it or not, and eventually that would be turned on her. 

“Shiloh…” She shook her head and moved towards the door. She had gotten her answers and she wasn’t sure if she should be happy with that fact or not. There wasn’t much else that could be said. She needed to digest the information and figure out where she was going to go from there. There were decisions that might need to be made and she wasn’t sure what that would all mean, for her or for them. 

“I’ve gotta go Crowley. I know you will tell Aziraphale what happened. I’ll talk to you both soon.” Shiloh quickly moved out of the apartment, not wanting to hear anything else that the demon had to say in that moment. She had a ton of thinking to do and she had to figure out where she stood in all of this most of all. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ever evolving end of the world plans are beginning to play out. Shiloh gets recruited to provide an extra hand.

For their part, Aziraphale and Crowley did what they could to be able to find the lost child. They knew that they didn’t have a lot of time before the end of the world came about. They were more nervous as the seconds ticked by and they seemed no closer to the goal. Crowley did his best to get Aziraphale to agree to go with him to the stars. There was some guilt, a concept that the demon hated, when it came down to it. They wouldn’t be able to bring Shiloh with them, leaving her to fend for herself in the mess that would be left on Earth. He didn’t see an alternative to that though, try as he might. Aziraphale wasn’t helping matters with the tension that kept moving through the angel. He wouldn’t leave Shiloh behind and had gotten much more snippy with Crowley than he ever had been. 

The worst part of it was that the others seemed to be catching onto things. Both were assaulted with people from the home office, poking and prodding. They were in trouble, in more ways than one. Even if they managed to pull this off, there was going to be consequences to face. The gig was up and neither places were going to take kindly to the relationship that had been established between the two. It was just another reason to head to the stars but Aziraphale called the relationship, the whole friendship off. Just like that. He had walked away, leaving Crowley scrambling to figure out what he was going to do. 

Shiloh, for her part, had hunkered down for a few days. She had tried to think out every possible outcome of the mess that she found herself sort of tangled in. By being close to Aziraphale, setting aside her relationship with Crowley entirely at the moment, she was going to be in trouble. Being what she was, an abomination according to all of the texts, she was going to be in trouble. There wasn’t a way that she came out of this in any sort of favor. She could accept that and roll with it after some thought. It wasn’t like she had any power to change that sort of thing. She had to accept it or she was going to go crazy.

She was still unsure what she could do to help but she had decided on approaching the men and helping in any way that she could. She knew what was happening and wasn’t going to just sit by when they were trying everything that they could to stop the end of the world. Shiloh didn’t know what that looked like, what she was really capable of doing but it had to be something.   
She arrived at the bookshop to find Aziraphale alone. That seemed unusual given what was going on. She thought that Crowley would be around the angel as much as possible while they worked in tandem. 

“Aziraphale?” She called out cautiously, watching as he was hunched over a book that didn’t seem familiar. It was a funny thought, considering it had been some time since she knew the shop like the back of her hand just as much as he did. He surely had loads of new books laying around. Now wasn’t exactly the time to be getting lost in one though. 

He startled and spun in his chair.

“Shiloh. When did you get here?” He was flustered, way more than he should have been and Shiloh felt an unease wash over her. 

“Just a moment ago. I know the door was locked but I still have a key so I let myself in. Listen, I know that Crowley talked to you and that you know that I know things are happening. It was a backhanded way of getting information but I had to know what was going on, what you guys were hiding. I’m sorry but I want to be able to help.” 

“There’s nothing you can do dear.” 

“That’s ridiculous. There has to be something I can do. Even if it is just being back up to you both. It’s not like I am completely defenseless. You know that.” She tried, though he was going to be a tougher nut to crack than Crowley. He had always been. That probably had to do with the whole follow the rule book aspect of his personality. There were few times that he went out of line and even then, he could rarely state why he did it. She was a perfect example of that. He should have never taken her under his wing, figuratively and almost literally in a lot of ways. “I know you both want to protect me but if the world ends, there really isn’t much you can do.” She reminded him. 

Aziraphale’s shoulders fell and he nodded. 

“I know. It was a bit foolish of us to think that was possible wasn’t it? You are grown though I still see you as the small girl curled up on the floor in a tucked away corner of this shop.” Shiloh found herself smiling softly despite the situation that they found themselves in. It was another reminder that he did genuinely care for her.

“It’s not that I don't appreciate the attempt to protect me Aziraphale.” She started off slowly. “But like I told Crowley, I would have rather known, rather be prepared for a potential outcome where you two are gone and I am stuck between the armies of demons and angels that are going to appear.” She moved closer to him, hoping that he would see that she was right and that she was capable of helping them. He was already seeming to give in. She had to run with that. “Then I would really be in trouble. You were trying to assure me that Gabriel wouldn’t be a problem. He won’t right now, not with focusing on the supposed end of times. But what about after that? What if this plan of yours doesn’t work and things go as they are “planned” to? Heaven and Hell will figure out what has been going on between the two of you and I will be left on my own. I don’t expect you two to protect me forever. It’s impossible. But I would sooner face them all alone knowing that you are both okay than to know that something terrible had happened to the both of you.” Aziraphale stood up, his lip quivering for a moment. Shiloh knew what was coming next. 

The angel pulled her into a hug. Shiloh returned it, hugging him tightly. He was one of the most important people in the world to her. She wanted to be able to give them, both he and Crowley, just as much help and protection as they had given her for years. 

“You have turned into such a wonderful woman Shiloh.” 

“I had some pretty good guidance.” She tried to lighten the mood just a little bit. So much was so dire and heavy at the moment that Shiloh felt like they could be crushed under the pressure of it all. She was surprised that her two pseudo guardians had lasted doing as well as they had for as long as they did. Many others would have cracked under the pressure of what they were trying to do. Maybe that came from keeping the relationship that they had developed a secret for more years than anyone really cared to count. 

Aziraphale was quiet for a few moments before he pulled back from the hug. 

“When did you last see Crowley?” He asked and the question seemed a curious one to ask but she answered it anyway.

  
“Not since I last saw you.” He nodded, seeming to be satisfied with the answer. 

“Come look at what I have found.” He showed her the book that was laying out on his desk. She frowned as she leaned close, muttering about what she was reading. They were all prophecies. She didn’t understand what the book was doing there or why Aziraphale seemed so damn excited about it. She looked towards him, lifting her eyes from the book. His excitement level hadn’t changed at all.

“What is it?” She finally asked, having to bust his bubble. He kept his spot in the book and flipped it to the cover. She read it but it still didn’t answer questions. She had gathered that they were prophecies but the name Agnes Nutter didn’t mean a thing to her. She looked back to him, brow raised in question. 

“It is going to tell us where the Antichrist is.”

“I thought that you knew where the Antichrist was. That you and Crowley had been watching over him since he was brought to this world.” Things were not clicking in her head and she was becoming concerned. 

“Oh yes, well. You see, that is the thing. We actually had the wrong boy.” Shiloh nearly choked on air as Aziraphale stated it as if it wasn’t the potential end of the world. That wasn’t a simple “well I left the stove on and left the house” sort of mistake that so many made. He had misplaced the Antichrist! She took a second to be able to calm herself before responding to the comment.

“What do you mean that you had the wrong boy? How is that at all possible?” 

“It’s a long story and not really all that important. What is important is that we know where he is.” He opened the book back to the page that he had been studying previously. “This tells us where. She has been correct in all of her prophecies thus far. Here, read it.” He pointed to the particular passage that he was referring to. Shiloh knew she shouldn’t have felt skeptical but she leaned back over and read it over. 

“And this all means?” Aziraphale huffed before he seemed to remember that Shiloh knew next to nothing about any of this. She hadn’t been there from the beginning and didn’t know what he knew. 

“It means he is a boy in Tadfield. Adam Young from my understanding of things. I have called upon a man by the name of Shadwell to go and watch over him. Or well, he sent one of his young recruits.” He paused and took in Shiloh again. “Perhaps you should go too.”

“Shadwell? That old man that stands at the corner and shouts about witches?” Shiloh seemed a little horrified. “He or anyone he knows shouldn’t be around children Aziraphale. When did he leave?” Shiloh was trying to figure out how long it would take her to get to Tadfield. It was a couple hours drive at best and she didn’t have a car. The logistics were going to be a nightmare. It wasn’t like she had anyone that she could ask either. Crowley clearly wasn’t in the picture at the moment and she got the feeling that this was not something that he wanted Crowley to know about. 

“Everything will be okay Shiloh. I have a few things I had to tidy up with the home office and I will be there right alongside you.” She looked towards him, feeling a bit more comforted by the fact that he was deciding to come too. Once he had things sorted out with Heaven that was. Who knew how long that could take. Shiloh was under the impression that they didn’t have a lot of time to play around with when it came to this problem. 

“All right. I’ll head to Tadfield. How long should it be before I expect you?” She wanted to have some sort of time frame in her head. Just in case things decided to go down and she found herself in trouble. A backup plan was always a good thing to have. 

“It shouldn’t be too long at all. I promise I will be there quickly. You aren’t going to deal with this on your own.” His hands rested on her shoulders and he gave her a smile. “I’m proud of you.” He uttered softly. Shiloh found herself smiling back, even with the heavy situation hanging over their heads. 

“I’ve had some pretty good role models.”

“All right. Off you go. Tadfield. Adam Young. I don’t know who Shadwell sent. I will figure that out and have the information by the time that I meet you.” She nodded and headed for the door. It wasn’t like she had anything to grab. There wasn’t a single thing that would really help when facing the Apocalypse and the end of times. She had some powers given her half angel side but she didn’t think that they would do all that much to help. Something was better than nothing though. Her mind was set. She had wanted this and she wasn’t about to back out now. She had to see things through, for Crowley, for Aziraphale, for herself. 


End file.
